Mosaic – it’s worth the work

There is a certain amount of risk we take every day and the way our lives run, a certain kind of risk-taking becomes a part of it all. From measured teaspoons and tablespoons, we often move to knowing exactly how much for an approximate number of people.

But then, that’s food…the only form of making that still finds pervasive acceptance.

For someone,

who enjoys making and experimenting in the real-life space, the risk is greater. Making doesn’t remain confined to crafts or working with the material without playing with anything that appears pretty okay to the people around you.

Needless to say, the sensibilities of the people around you shape your risk-taking abilities in the MAKING arena too.

You have to beat all the mindsets – from ‘my four-year-old niece does it better than you’ to ‘is it worth your time & money’ or ‘ there are more pressing issues than these leisurely activities’ and so on and so forth.

These are some of the side-effects of Prescription Living. You are raised with the knowledge of what and how much you need to live along with the intensity of the vibes you are allowed to go through.

But, MAKING (Artefaction),

The Purple Frog agrees is the greatest gift to humans. No other species can do it like we can. And it is our only piece that keeps us connected to the ground beneath our feet. No matter how evolved and technologically versatile the world becomes, there is no substitute for having a little Making Corner in your space in this world.

On that note,

The Purple Frog wishes to draw your attention to Mosaic. Not the kind that uses waste material to create a piece of art or outdoor spaces but the type that uses high-quality, dedicated-to-mosaic glass, ceramic and other materials to create an artsy space.

A Make-It-Yourself of a bigger scale where you personalise a corner, a wall or a set of unused terrace steps to simply add to the aesthetic value of a space.

It is a bigger risk

Since The Purple Frog is suggesting working on an immovable object that already exists in tandem with its surrounding.

Again, it runs the risk of,

Not meeting your great expectations or those who lent you permissions of playing with their property

Spending a lot more time and energy than your other projects

For all such doubts,

The only thing The Purple Frog assures of – it’s a risk worth taking.

Based on its own recent experience and learning from a similar such project, it can safely recommend a large scale mosaic project to MAKERS. It is simply metamorphosing.

Just plan it well and go for it.

Sharing a few observations:

Give one week of research and reading to the art form – Mosaic.

Apart from arranging the basic material such as white cement, grout and glue, arrange for a few sets of disposable gloves (not just one) and a pair of safety goggles. Keep children away from the place and always keep your slippers on.

Broken china and mirrors make for a great combination with colourful grout filling. Can be easily worked with a light-weight hammer and plier…Avoid shaping glass, mirror and similar such material. Readymade pieces by the kilogram are available.

Start your material search with Amazon. It always helps.

Just decide white cement or unsanded grout for the top layering of your project before starting the work. Since unsanded grout has a smooth and silky finish, it may not fill wide gaps well and may leave sharp, unattended edges of tesserae (material) you create yourself with a hammer and a plier.

Market bought glass tiles and other materials are usually very well-cut and require less caution.

Again, if it is a set of steps you want to work on…pick matte/rugged tiles or the ones with certain embossed lines that set well with grout within their lines, making the surface pretty walkable.

One last bit that may help – This project is difficult to be undone. Moreover, the work dries up fast. What you do will set faster than you can imagine. So preparation (appearance and step-by-step execution planning) should get almost 70% of your project time.

The Mosaic Work here

Read two books and prepared notes. Wish had referred to the notes more. Gathered all the material ever bought for any project that could be used here. Bought readymade mosaic tiles. Fixed up cool hours for work. And then through a fast cycle of arranging, sticking, cementing, grouting, cleaning and more, created this. And super love, love, love it despite all its rough edges. They are a sign that a bigger & better mosaic project is right around the corner…